UConn vs. Creighton; Huskies Play After 3 Weeks

Nika Mühl (10) goes up for a layup past Creighton's Chloe Dworak (24) in a conference matchup in February 2021. Credit: Stephen Slade

The UConn Huskies are back in action this Sunday for a conference matchup against the Creighton Blue Jays. The Huskies have not played a game since December 19th when they lost to the Louisville Cardinals. The program has been dealing with Covid issues since players returned to campus after the Christmas holiday. Due to NCAA and the Big East Conference protocols, the Huskies had to postpone their past four games.

According to The UConn Blog, the Huskies will be playing with “six and a half players” for Sunday’s game. The Huskies have their returning starters with Caroline Ducharme, Dorka Juhász, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Evina Westbrook, and Christyn Williams, and sophomore Aliyah Edwards. Nika Mühl is set to make her return this season while dealing with an ongoing ankle injury. Mühl played the first six games of the season before taking a spot on the bench with freshman Azzi Fudd and junior Aubrey Griffin. Paige Bueckers is still recovering from knee surgery.

While it may be uncommon in recent years to play with seven players, the Huskies are not the only team to do so this season. In a recent SEC conference game, the Missouri Tigers only had eight of their fourteen players available to suit up. The Tigers only played seven of those suited up. They were also down some of their top players with Aijha Blackwell who could not play.

Christyn Williams drives the lane by Creighton's Lauren Jenson (13) in a conference matchup in December 2020. Credit: Stephen Slade

This is similar to the Huskies, as Coach Geno Auriemma is still missing three players, all key to UConn’s bench. Fudd is still battling a foot injury, but Geno is hopeful she will begin full practices this week. Bueckers still has over six weeks to get healthy off her knee surgery and may be able to play in mid-February. Griffin may be out for the rest of the season due to a spinal disk injury. With Nika Mühl able to join in on the action, she will only receive a number of minutes coming off the bench.

“Amari is not now ready to go,” Auriemma said. “It might take her a little bit of time to get ready.”

The Huskies are also missing Piath Gabriel and Amari DeBerry. In one of the last games the Huskies played, it was mentioned that Gabriel has had some academic eligibility issues. Not knowing for sure, it could mean she cannot play in a formal game till the spring semester starts. DeBerry was one of the players who tested positive for Covid when they returned to campus last week.

Auriemma talked about one thing that makes this season different than the rest. The inconsistency. Whether it be player numbers because of transfers or injuries, or the three losses on the season, Auriemma knows that this season will be his toughest in 37 years. He spoke about this after Buecker’s injury during the last two minutes of their game against Notre Dame on December 5th.

“When these situations happen, you don’t need somebody to become something they are not,” Auriemma said. “(Players) just need to become the best version of themselves. So we need Evina at her best. Whatever her best game has been since she got to UConn, that’s what we need every game. Whatever Christyn’s best game has been since she’s been at UConn, we need that every game. We don’t need them to try to be Paige. And we need Caroline to do the same thing."

Caroline Ducharme goes up for a layup past Louisville's Chelsie (23) on December 19th. Credit: Stephen Slade

Who was one player that stepped up before their three-week break? Freshman Caroline Ducharme has answered the call. Ducharme hails from Milton, Massachusetts, and attended Noble & Greenough School. Ranked as the 5th player in the 2021 incoming class, Ducharme has proved to be what UConn needs for continued success this season. Against Notre Dame, she scored 14 points and matched this in the UCLA game.

Let’s talk about Louisville versus Ducharme. She played all 40 minutes as the Huskies only had seven players to spare. Ducharme scored 24 points, her career-high, adding 8 rebounds, 2 assists, and a block. The fourth quarter proved that she is a versatile scorer. She can score in the paint, from the line, well above the arch, and can even mouse-in a clean layup.

Going into their second conference game this season, the Huskies must work collectively on offense to beat the Blue Jays. Creighton is the number one team in the Big East conference with a 5-0 record. One advantage the Huskies bring to the court is their height. In the three meetings between both teams, UConn has all three wins. The Huskies played the Blue Jays twice last season in conference play.

Evina Westbrook (22) nails the three-pointer during a  conference matchup with Creighton in December 2020. Credit: Stephen Slade

In terms of a starting lineup for tomorrow’s game against Marquette, Auriemma would have to play it smart. With only seven players ready to play, Auriemma must stick to his current starters. Ducharme, Westbrook, Williams, ONO, and Juhász are his best chance defensively with their height advantage. Aaliyah Edwards will continue her role as the “sixth man” as she brings in a strong defensive role.

The Huskies have to work hard on their offensive presence tomorrow. They struggled to find shots during the Louisville game unless Ducharme was open. She scored 13 of their 19 points in the fourth quarter of that game. The Cardinals outscored the Huskies on the arch with impressive threes. 

The Huskies welcome high school athletic teams to the crowds tomorrow as a part of their four-game series. There will also be three more games for ice hockey, lacrosse, and softball this semester.

The Blue Jays travel to Gampel Pavilion, the official home court of the UConn Huskies. Tip-off is 1 pm Sunday, available to watch on the Fox Sports app or SNY.